The Best Strawberry Cake

Strawberry Cake

Grey insisted on a Strawberry Cake this year for his birthday! He loves Strawberries and all the good things in life.

If you have a four year old you know of their whims, one minute it’s banana and the next it’s strawberry. For once he was consistently saying he wanted a strawberry cake. I wasn’t sure how it would hold up with the bumpy cake we were planning on making but I had to give it a try.

I decided to take my basically vanilla cake and then replace some of the wet ingredients with strawberry puree. It actually worked out phenomenally! It was sturdy enough for the design but also moist and delicious!

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour (for a lighter cake, use cake flour)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup reduced strawberry puree, see directions below
optional: 1-2 drops red or pink food coloring

Directions

First you are going to make the reduced strawberry puree and allow it to cool completely. I pureed 1 cup of strawberries and put them in a sauce pan on medium low heat and boiled it until it was cut in half.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans. Or I used a 9×13 inch pan. I grease them using Crisco and then dust with flour, then I put a piece of parchment paper in the bottom.
Whisk the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the egg whites on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the milk *just* until combined. Do not over-mix. Whisk in 1/2 cup of reduced strawberry puree, making sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick. Stir in food coloring, if desired.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 24-25 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling.